I’ve been jotting down World War II books that I want to read and have upwards of 20. I’ve decided to read across genres on this subject as each gives you a new look into that world. At this rate, I’ll have to read several a month to really do the Great War justice. Here’s my current list (let me know in the comments if there’s a great book out there that I’m missing):

• Non-Fiction:
  • The Storm of War by Andrew Roberts
  • A World at Arms by Gerhard Weinberg
  • The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer
  • Inferno: The World at War by Max Hastings
  • The Gathering Storm by Winston Churchill
  • Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O’Reilly
  • In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
• Historical Fiction:
  • All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
  • A Hero of France by Alan Furst
  • Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
  • The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
• Fiction:
  • Home and Away: A World War II Christmas Story by Dean Hughes
• Literature:
  • Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  • Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• Biographies:
  • The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
  • Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
  • Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
  • Night by Elie Wiesel
• Young Adult/Children:
  • Code Name Verity by Elizabeth E. Wein
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
  • Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
  • Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
  • Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn
  • Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
  • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
  • The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
  • Escape From Warsaw by Ian Serraillier

So this is my super-long list. I really should whittle it down a bit. I’ll probably start with the histories so I can have a firm grasp on the timeline while reading the other books. I actually might not read all the histories. The Bill O’Reilly book and Erik Larson book are must-reads, and I’ve already started A World at Arms while simultaneously listening to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. I’ll have to reconsider the other three after I’ve finished my top four.

I’m pretty excited about this new project! I encourage all of you to join me. Have you read any of these books on my list? What are your thoughts on them? Any recommendations?